ProAC 2.5 users please share experience on amp


Sorry I have to start a new thread again about right amplifer for the proAC response 2.5. I am searching a good match for it. Please share your experience on this. I am using Cary SLI-80 sig currently. Sound is beautiful but think there maybe lots of space for further improvment. Based on my researh here:

SS: Plinius 9200

TUBE:
Audio Research (VT100+ LS7)or VT50+ LS7
C-J premier 11a or 12

Pretube/SS Power:
Blue circle BC21/BC22(or BAT 200)

......
anymore input? I listen to classic and some jazz.
the budget is below ~$2500. room size: 16x13x9 . I prefer to tube sound~

Thanks in advance~`
smileshopper2000
That's really interesting Tomryan.

Your system must be much more revealing than mine because I perceive smaller differences between the three speakers.

In my rig, the Tab 50 Sigs were definitely the "wild" guys of the three. The 1SCs more mature. And the 2.5s add the bottom end both monitors lack. When I first hooked up the 2.5s I felt they were like the 1SCs, but with more bottom end. I didn't perceive any of them to be offensive, but it could be because my system is biased towards the darker side of neutral. And strangely, I felt the floorstanders disappeared better than the 1SCs.

It must be all the loose clothes lying around. The Acoustic Slop Factor.
Hi,Gunbei

Currently, SLI-80 is doing well with small scale music: like solo cello, violine, string quartet. The sound is charm and muscial~~ (which is much better than my old CAV50
at this point)

however, for the large scale music, symphonie, opera, the thing is totally changed. The sound is no any layer and
the soundstage is a bit flat. even the sound of violins now become very bad~, seems totally messed up. Overall , i can not keep listening to these type of music for 5 minutes and want to leave~~.

By the way, when I hook the Cary SLP80 to spendor, the sound is warmer, darker than what my CAV50 did.

Tom and Golden ear, there is no glare at all when I listened to solo violin and string quarte. however, the sound of violins in the symphonie is not so pleasure and i am not sure if it is what "glare" you are talking about~~...it would not hurt your ear anyway

Thanks for the inputs and welcome for more discussions


Derick, it sounds like you're experiencing the bad sounding violins when the music becomes louder and more complex. Solo instruments or chamber music settings are more forgiving, but when you get 10 or more violins going full bore, things can get strident.

This is something I exprienced a few years ago when I first started the hobby. I don't have a real explanation for how I was able to overcome much of this. Better equipment? Adding tubes to the system? But I know I've seen this mentioned in the forums before, so maybe a more experienced person can comment on this.
I currently own both the ProAc 2.5s and the 1SC. The ProAc 1SCs tweeters are anything but hard and glary. I like a warm sounding speaker and after much auditioning settled on these. I also had a pair of Totem 1s which were very good and much brighter than the1SC (at lease in my room), in a head to head match up the 1SC sounded better so the Totems after holding the spot in my system were sold. Matching a tube preamp with a SS power amp seems to work best in my system and with many others using the 2.5s or 1SCs. I use an Pass Aleph 3 with a VTL 2.5 preamp with the 2.5s with excellent results in a modest size room. In any event both a great speakers, I find the 2.5 similar to the 1SCs but with much better bass and a fuller sound. Just a note good stand are essential with the 1SCs.
Gjrad

Pass Lab alph 3 has only 30W/channel, you think it will drive 2.5 well? What type of music you mostly listen to?

As Gunbei said, the problem I experienced now is the difficluty to let proAC/cary present the complex music (like symphonie). I don't need kick bass, but just need a well balanced, positioned,layered sound which is some kind
of missing in my current combination.

Any suggestion?